VERMILION PARISH — Crime rates generally decrease year to year, but Vermilion Parish Sheriff Eddie Langlinais said he notices an increase in crime during the summer months.
"Every year, every summer when the summer rolls around, kids will be kids. Kids are going to go out and they're going to do things. We were all kids at one time, but some of the kids get a little bit more out of line than others, and we do notice that there's an uptick in thefts," Langlinais said.
He said there is a plan to curb crime.
"It's letting them, the criminals know or the would be criminals, that we do have the cameras all over and we're watching. It's strategically placed so when we know something happened in a certain area, first thing we do is go to those cameras," he said.
He said residents should lock their house doors and vehicle doors, and they should avoid leaving valuable items in their vehicle, even if it is locked.
"Some of these thefts that happen, it's a theft of convenience. If they pull the door of the vehicle and it's locked, they'll leave. They'll pull the door of a home and it's locked, they'll leave. If it's not locked, there's a possibility they can enter," he said.
ATV crimes increase during the summer as Vermilion Parish is a rural area, Langlinais said.
"We noticed a slight uptick in unauthorized vehicles on the roads, such as ATVs, four wheelers, and side by sides. We've noticed that in the last few months, so we're expecting that to go up a lot more during the summer months when the kids are out of school," Langlinais said.
He said they are cracking down on ATV crimes this summer.
"If a minor is caught on the roadway with a four-wheeler, we're looking at going and picking up the minor and actually picking up the four wheeler, as well," he said.
The Sheriff's Office is hosting a Junior Citizens Academy for grades 7-12 on July 9-11 to educate teenagers on law enforcement. To apply, visit vermilionsheriff.gov/youth-program.
